ADOR denies allegations of poaching NewJeans members and accuses HYBE of providing Dispatch with false information

On July 23, ADOR refuted reports that they had poached trainees from Source Music to form NewJeans. ADOR also announced they will take legal action against HYBE and Dispatch, the media outlet responsible for the report.

ADOR stated, “The contents of the article in question are false and reconstructed based on speculation. We will take strong legal action against these false claims.” ADOR emphasized that the information mentioned, such as internal meeting records, task divisions, and personal KakaoTalk messages, could not have been reported without the cooperation and false information from HYBE and Source Music.

Furthermore, ADOR criticized the exposure of personal information of former trainees and artists who had already moved to different agencies without consent, including medical records and demo tapes, as a severe violation of confidentiality and contract terms. They pointed out that the trainee contracts with Source Music had ended and did not permit the use of likenesses or voices, making the media release of trainee videos a severe violation of privacy.

ADOR also condemned the unauthorized release and falsification of private messenger conversations to slander the agency’s representative. They announced plans for strong legal action against HYBE and the media outlet for their unethical behavior.

Previously, a media outlet reported that Min Hee Jin took NewJeans members, Source Music trainees, to debut under ADOR. The report included messenger conversations and videos of the trainees.

Below is the official statement from ADOR:

“Hello, this is ADOR.

We wish to convey ADOR’s stance on the article published by Dispatch today.

The article’s content is false, based on speculation, and we plan to take firm legal action against it. The reported details, including internal meeting records, task assignments, and personal KakaoTalk messages, are impossible to address without the cooperation and false information from HYBE and Source Music.

Especially problematic is the unauthorized public exposure of personal information of former trainees and current artists, including medical records and confidential data, which violates contracts and constitutes a serious crime.

The trainee contracts between Source Music and NewJeans members have ended, and there was no agreement permitting the use of their likenesses or voices. Thus, Source Music’s release of trainee videos through media is a severe illegal act, violating the members’ portrait rights. We request immediate measures to protect the artists.

Additionally, we criticize the unethical behavior of HYBE and the media outlet that provided false reports and edited private conversations to slander our representative. We will proceed with strong legal actions against these entities.

Contrary to Dispatch’s claims, the indefinite postponement of Team N’s debut due to Min Hee Jin’s alleged negligence is far from the truth. To clarify the situation, we are releasing emails from 2021.”

The timeline is as follows:

1. In March 2020, BigHit’s marketing team proposed a launch strategy for ‘Team 21.’ Min Hee Jin, finding the direction unsuitable, prepared an alternative strategy.

2. In May 2020, Min Hee Jin presented her launch strategy, which was praised by Bang Si Hyuk but deemed too ambitious for Source Music’s infrastructure. He suggested the project be handled by Min Hee Jin’s label.

3. In August 2020, Source Music re-proposed an initial plan, largely copying Min Hee Jin’s strategy. Complaints were raised, and Source Music acknowledged the issue.

As these emails show, NewJeans’ launch strategy faced challenges due to conflicting feedback and the difficult collaboration between the companies. ADOR has yet to receive a response to these emails.

We share these official emails, not the manipulated data from HYBE, to provide accurate context. While we have additional evidence, including Slack and KakaoTalk conversations, we choose to disclose emails only to avoid inappropriate public disclosure of private conversations.

Given the available evidence and witnesses, including the members and their parents, we cannot understand HYBE’s false accusations. Despite warnings from NewJeans’ legal representative, HYBE continued with illegal activities, which is deplorable.

HYBE’s actions, such as unauthorized forensic analysis of a returned laptop, suggest serious violations of privacy and illegal acts. They claim the data was stored on their server, not through forensic means, but this is an even graver issue, suggesting constant collection and unauthorized use of personal conversations.

ADOR, and Min Hee Jin as its representative, urge HYBE to cease these unlawful actions and cooperate with the ongoing police investigation.

We remind HYBE’s management that their duty to shareholders includes ending unnecessary conflicts and illegal acts.

Thank you.”